Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Doty was presented Friday with the Soldier's Medal, the highest honor a member of the armed forces can receive for bravery displayed in a noncombat situation.

In 2010, Doty helped save a helicopter crew after their aircraft crash-landed in Afghanistan. Witnesses to the crash said the rescue mission was incredibly dangerous as the rotors of the helicopter were flinging shrapnel and the aircraft had begun to leak gasoline. Worst of all, the helicopter was carrying 2,000 pounds of highly explosive mortars.

"The threats to the people approaching the helo were numerous and they were significant. Ignoring all of these hazards Staff Sgt. Doty led the rescue effort. He was the first person to the wreckage, kicked in a window and actually climbed into the cockpit of the helo," U.S. Navy Capt. Raymond Benedict said.

Doty recognized the bravery of the other rescuers who were not present at Friday's ceremony. All three members of the helicopter crew survived.